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    Some Buried Caesar
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    Some Buried Caesar
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    Some Buried Caesar
    Audiobook7 hours

    Some Buried Caesar

    Written by Rex Stout

    Narrated by Michael Prichard

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    A prize bull, a restaurateur's tacky publicity stunt, a family feud (among the bull's owners), and the death of a family scion pit Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin against a special breed of killer.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateApr 10, 2007
    ISBN9781415940983
    Unavailable
    Some Buried Caesar
    Author

    Rex Stout

    Rex Todhunter Stout (1886 – 1975) was an American crime writer, best known as the creator of the larger-than-life fictional detective Nero Wolfe and assistant Archie Goodwin. The Nero Wolfe corpus was nominated Best Mystery Series of the Century at Bouchercon 2000, the world's largest mystery convention, and Rex Stout was nominated Best Mystery Writer of the Century. Rex passed away in 1975.

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    Reviews for Some Buried Caesar

    4/5

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    • 4/5
      Once again, Wolfe & Archie are away from home in this 6th entry in the series! This time, Wolfe is visiting upstate NY in order to participate in a flower show (so his orchids can beat those of a rival who cowardly avoided the NYC flower shows). Of course, they get involved in a death or two (or 3) while there! This is the book which introduces a recurring character, Lily Rowan, and it was a lot of fun reading the persiflage between her & Archie.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Nero Wolfe and his assistant Archie Goodwin are on their way to an agricultural fair where Wolfe will exhibit orchids when a car accident strands them in a rural area. They head for the nearest house they can see using the most direct route through a field, only to be stranded by a fierce-looking bull. When they’re finally rescued, they learn that the bull is a national champion, Hickory Caesar Grindon. The bull is the center of controversy since his current owner, Pratt, intends to barbecue him later in the week to generate publicity for his restaurant. Pratt has a long-standing feud with the neighboring cattleman, Osgood. Soon Osgood’s son is dead, apparently gored by the bull. But what was he doing in the bull’s pasture during the night? Was his death truly accidental, or was it murder? If it was murder, the culprit made a big mistake by carrying it out right under Wolfe’s nose.I listened to the audio version, and I probably would have enjoyed it more in print format. The plot is complicated enough that it was sometimes difficult to follow in the audio version. And I kept confusing the two “B” characters, Bennett and Bronson. Finally, the reader sounded like the television announcers from my childhood. The best part of the book is that it introduces Lily Rowan, who will have a recurring role in the series as Archie’s girlfriend.
    • 4/5
      Hilarious.
    • 4/5
      It's the late 1930s and the normally agoraphobic Wolfe has ventured out of his beloved New York City brownstone to upstate New York, where a feud with a fellow amateur orchid grower has provoked him to exhibit his prized albino hybrids at a county agricultural exhibition. He's not looking for work, but when the scion of the local gentry is found dead in the pasture where a grand champion bull is penned, Wolfe finds himself trading his sleuthing skills for the opportunity to avoid an uncomfortable, dirty hotel room. Or, as Archie puts it, "this case you've dragged us into through your absolute frenzy to find an adequate chair to sit on."Some Buried Caesar is one of the earliest Wolfe novels, but already all the essential elements are in place: Wolfe's reluctance to leave home, his extreme dislike of riding in a car (see the quote below), the rat-a-tat-tat banter between he and Archie, his ability to solve mysteries well before anyone else. Caesar is also notable for being the book in which Archie first meets Lily Rowan, the ultra-rich New York socialite who becomes his steady companion and partner in witty banter throughout the series.The setting outside of New York City and the brownstone means Caesar can't truly be considered an archetype of the series, but in every other element it is a more than worthy entry in the canon of Wolfe and Archie. Choice Quote: "I presume you know, since I've told you, that my distrust and hatred of vehicles in motion is partly based on my plerophory that their apparent submission to control is illusory and that they may at their pleasure, and soon or later will, act on whim. Very well, this one has, and we are intact. Thank God the whim was not a deadlier one."
    • 4/5
      This is a Nero Wolfe book that is very funny. A good example is a scene early in the book where he is standing on a large rock in the middle of a cow pasture, the prisoner of a prize Guernsey bull who must be secured before Wolfe can leave his place of safety.Wolfe's adventures begin when he decides to go to a State Fair to exhibit some of his orchids in a competition with a hated rival. Once you go out of the house anything can happen and it does. Archie ends up in jail and becomes the organizer of a labor union for the inmates. Wolfe at times is forced to place his bulk on a folding chair has to drink warm beer. Wolfe is deprived of all of his creature comforts throughout the story making this a very different Nero Wolfe book.The prize Guernsey bull becomes Wolfe's client when he is accused of murder. The story takes place in a world of rich, arrogant men who like to yell a lot. The bull had been sold to be used by a publicity stunt by a local boy who grew up and got rich. The seller of the bull was from an old money family that were cash poor.Archie gets seriously hit on by an attractive woman named Lily Rowan. She has quite a reputation and is always asking him to kiss her. He doesn't seem to mind the attention or her name for him "Escamillo". I looked him up. He is a toreador from Carmen.There is a good plot with plenty of twists. IMO Rex Stout's style is more literary than Raymond Chandler or Ross MacDonald. The solution to the mystery is very logical once Wolfe tells you what it is. In the end he bends the facts to see that justice is done. The scratchy sound of a fountain pen writing, very evocative of the times, is my memory from the final scene. I think my next mystery book will be a Nero Wolfe.
    • 4/5
      Nero Wolfe on a horse farm in the Hudson Valley. Definitely one of the best in the series.
    • 5/5
      One of the best of the Nero Wolfe series. This one starts out with Nero and Archie stranded in a pasture, and proceeds (with much culinary side business) to an exciting conclusion. The eccentric (and egocentric) detective and his man about town sidekick Archie are one of the classic star turns in detective fiction, and the novels are drenched with the atmosphere of New York in the mid-20th century. As to the plots, the books are more exciting and a lot less formulaic than several other classic detective series. They can't help seeming dated to a modern reader, but that to me is part of their charm.
    • 3/5
      What stands out most about this book is the way in which nothing stands out in this book. The second world war is brewing -- yet this book is set in a never never land . Stout having set up a "set in stone" routine for Wolfe has now departed from it in three books running. It appears that as an author he had written himself into a corner and was attempting to provide and endless number of exceptions to the very routines and eccentricities that made Wofe stand out. Looking one sees he dealt with that -- but one wonders if it the time Stout's editors were concerned as to the viability of the franchise as it had been designed by the author.
    • 5/5
      These books, though written so long ago, are timeless and very enjoyable. Stout's forte was character building, and let me tell you there is no one out there like overweight Nero Wolfe! This book is all about a pedigree bull if you can imagine, but it is really good. Wolfe and his sidekick Archie are out of their element here again since they are in the countryside attending a country fair with Wolfe's orchids, and they happen to stumble upon a murder that occurs in a bull pasture. Wolfe knows its murder, but has to convince the local yokels of this fact. There are something like 46 Nero Wolfe novels, and I'm very tempted to read the entire series, since these are just so good.
    • 4/5
      One of the better, and earlier, Nero Wolfe novels. The fat detective is out of his natural habitat again, but unlike 'Death of a Dude', this still feels like a comfortable Brownstone story. Lily Rowan makes her first appearance - enjoy the spark between her and Archie, as well as the spoiled rich girl act that endears her to both detectives and the reader alike, because Stout rather drains her of all personality and interest after this. The mystery is a subplot to the character interactions, but neat and original despite that.
    • 5/5
      If you haven't met Nero Wolfe yet, I highly recommend making his acquaintance. Wolfe is an eccentric private detective who rarely leaves his Manhattan brownstone, has a floor devoted to orchids, and a devotion to good food. The footwork needed for his cases is taken care of by Archie Goodwin, who is also the witty narrator. (After seeing the A&E series, I will always hear the voice of Timothy Hutton.) This is one of the few Nero Wolfe cases where he leaves the house, to show his prize-winning orchids, and solve the case of murder by prize-winning bull.
    • 5/5
      Love this story. A fish out of water, Wolfe is in the wilds of upper New York at a country fair. Inspiration for my chicken with dumplings recipe.
    • 5/5
      Wolfe and Goodwin complement each other's personality. The setting is interesting, the people complex, the plot involved enough to be satisfying AND it is all read exceptionally well by Michael Pritchard.
    • 5/5
      Some Buried Caesar (1938) (Nero Wolfe #16) by Rex Stout. This is not to be missed for all Wolfe fans. The big man leaves not only his brownstone home/office, but New York city itself. And, as to be expected when the quite unconventional happens, he is faced with murder, deceit, and a lot of bull. Wolfe and Archie are heading to upstate New York to a flower show where his prized orchids are to be on display, when there is a small accident which leaves them with a broken car some thirty miles from their destination. This is 1938, many years before interstates and vastly improved motorways abound, so there is not much traffic on the small roadway they were tooling along.Fortunately they can spy a nice home out across a field, and despite his reluctance Wolfe agrees with Archie that the walk might be the best thing to do. The shortest path lies through a fenced field which upon entering and crossing a good distance they discover is being guarded by a man with a gun. He is yelling that they should get out of the field and they soon discover the reason. The field is home to Hickory Caesar Grindon, a massive, top of his breed, and very protective of his territory, bull.They escape that peril and are introduced to the owner of the prizewinner, Mr. Tom Pratt, owner and operator of the “Pratteria” franchise of low cost eateries that abound back in the big city. He invites them to stay overnight while their car is towed and repaired. And they hear the story of his this bull, which cost Pratt $45,000. That is in 1938 dollars. The bull is to be roasted in just a few days as a publicity stunt. Or is it to get his neighbor’s goat, the old money family run by Mr. Osgood.That evening the younger Mr. Osgood, Clyde, comes over from the neighboring spread and makes a bet with Pratt that Pratt will not make Caesar into BBQ that week, a bet that Pratt accepts.All is fine although Pratt is worried about the safety of the bull. Archie ends up enlisted as part of a group to stand guard individually just outside the bull’s large paddock.Things go smooth until a hullabaloo gets raised by Archie when he discovers Clyde lying in the field, apparently gored to death by the bull.This being a Nero Wolfe mystery, things are not as simple as they appear. Wolfe, being the brilliant mind that he is, figures out the riddle early on but Mr. Stout leaves the readers to follow along and try to uncover the real villain of the piece.A nice puzzle, a good depiction of Wolfe far from his comfort zone, and Archie being his usual suave, ladies man throughout, all provides a great read for fan or Wolfe novice alike. Like about all of Mr. Stout’s work, this book is highly recommended..
    • 5/5
      On their way to show orchids, Wolfe and Archie find themselves stranded in a field with a large bull. The bull chases Archie, who narrowly escapes, and is applauded by Lily Rowan 'Bravo Escamillo" --their first meeting. Later the bull's identity becomes an issue --is it a prize bull or his ordinary brother? --and to confirm his memory of the bull's configuration, Wolfe fakes evidence, something I really wish he would not do, though it does expose the criminal.
    • 4/5
      Another really good one. As always, Stout's dialogue is spot-on 30s noir goodness. Archie Goodwin is one of the great inventions in all of mystery-dom.
    • 2/5
      Very slow starting book. I got into it eventually, but I'm just not sure that Nero Wolfe is ever going to be my thing.
    • 4/5
      A favorite of Nero Wolfe fans, and I can see why. Ace assistant Archie Goodwin is driving Wolfe and his precious orchids to an orchid competition (!), but a tire blows and they skid into a tree. When they cross a fenced-in pasture to get some help, an angry bull goes after them, leaving Wolfe atop a rock and Archie vaulting the fence. Turns out farm owner Tom Pratt has bought the championship bull to barbecue and eat him with friends, as a publicity stunt for his "pratteria" restaurant chain. Locals are peeved, and while Wolfe and Goodwin are recuperating, a neighbor is killed, apparently by the bull, who is found shoving the body around the pasture. Wolfe thinks it's murder, and soon gets himself hired to find out. The sharply portrayed, feisty characters and the twisty solution make for fine reading. Part of the fun is having the renowned armchair detective out amongst the populace. I hadn't really been satisfied reading in this series until this one. If you haven't read Stout, or have but not this one, go on and treat yourself. Fer de Lance starts the series, if you want to get grounded first.
    • 4/5
      Nero and Archie end up on the road solving two human murders and the death of a bull. To date, it has been one of the most enjoyable I have read in the series. Archie is especially at his best as he describes the characters in question and parries with the boss. It is a bit dated, with the descriptions of cattle judging and large expositions (fairs?) that anchor the story, but very well done.
    • 3/5
      breezy and clever and enjoyable, but not great.
    • 5/5
      The origin of the title: XVIII“I sometimes think that never blows so red The Rose as where some buried Caesar bled; That every Hyacinth the Garden wears Dropt in its Lap from some once lovely Head.”Omar Khayyám (1050? - 1122) Persian mathematician, astronomer, and authorEnglish translation by Edward FitzGerald In the sixth novel Nero Wolfe is once again gallivanting around the countryside, this time to a rural region of New York where he plans to enter his orchids in a competition at a big State Fair. He gets sidetracked when a tire blows and the car ends up crashed into a tree next to a big pasture. The shortest way to the house in the distance is through the field so Archie and Wolfe enter the gate to go to the house. Unfortunately, they did not notice the big bull in the pasture until it charges. Archie manages to jump the fence but Wolfe is stranded on a rock with the bull holding him there. It turns out that the bull is a prize bull that the owner of the house purchased for $45,000 in order to barbeque him and serve him to several hundred guests at a shindig to advertise his restaurants. Understandably, people who think Prize Bulls should be prized, not eaten, are upset. Wolfe wangles an invitation to stay at the house of the bull’s new owner while his car is being fixed and gets involved in a “situation” when a man who bet the owner that the bull would never be barbequed is found dead in the field with the bull standing next to him.This is the first book in which Lily Rowen appears as she is also a guest there. And she had been dating the man found dead. There are many people on LT who complain about Lily in this book saying the she is a spoiled rich girl who is a man-eater and is mean. Rich is a given and she may be a little spoiled but she isn’t mean and I don’t think she is as sure of herself as she likes to act. I really liked her in this book. She is attractive and she likes to date men but she is also independent and does not want to be tied down. When a man gets too close or possessive and wants to marry her she doesn’t know how to gracefully get out of the situation. Watching the beginning of the relationship between Archie and Lily is a real delight in this novel. You know they are perfect for each other because they each want a relationship with no strings and they are intrigued with each other. This was my favorite part of the book. The puzzle in this novel is well worked out also. It is ironic that when I first read this many years ago I was disappointed because I figured out the solution way to early in the book so I always felt I didn’t like it and never reread it. This time, I had totally forgotten everything about the book except that is had something to do with a bull. I was nearly to the end when I realized I hadn’t figured out the culprit yet. I stopped briefly, put my thinking cap on and did figure it out. I think the reason I missed it this time is because I was so distracted by the relationship between Lily and Archie that I forgot to notice the obvious! That was a good device